Leaving the White House, Donald Trump said he would not attend the inauguration of President-elect, Democrat Joe Biden. “I answer to everyone who asked: I will not go to the inauguration on January 20,” Trump tweeted. Obviously, the leader's wife, Melania, will not appear at the ceremony. Thus, the couple will break a very long tradition that dates back to the very founding of the United States (see also: Final chord: what the last Christmas portrait of Melania and Donald Trump looks like).
Trump made his announcement after his supporters stormed the Capitol and disrupted the procedure for confirming the election results. On Twitter, Donald initially supported the Protestants, but then urged them to calm down and announced that "the new administration will take office on January 20." Trump condemned the violence and pledged to focus on a peaceful transfer of power. Let us remind you that earlier the president did not recognize the victory of his opponent and insisted that he was going to challenge the results in court.
"I know you are disappointed, but our incredible journey is just beginning," the 45th US President promised his supporters. He also explained that his only goal has always been and will be "protecting American democracy."
By the way, the outgoing president's twitter has been permanently blocked since January 8, as the administrators of the social network considered that his posts (including the refusal to attend the inauguration) could provoke new riots.
It is unlikely that Donald's refusal to attend the inauguration of his opponent can be called something that will become the new rule. Trump is only the fourth leader in American history not to appear at the handover ceremony to the next head of the United States.
The last time a US president was not present at the inauguration of a successor was in 1869. Then the outgoing leader, Andrew Johnson, on principle refused to go to the ceremony, and even in the same carriage with the elected Ulysses Grant. Also, John Quincy Adams in 1829 and his father John Adams in 1801 were not present at the inaugurations of the successors.
By the way, Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were at Donald's inauguration in 2017. However, a couple of years after the ceremony, the former first lady made it clear that she was not happy with the event. “We had to sit there and look back at the crowd that didn't represent the country. We were one of a very small bunch of 'colored' people,”Obama recalled with annoyance during an interview at the Essence Festival in 2019 (see also: Why Michelle Obama refused to be photographed with the Trumps).
Photo: Getty Images
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